Beth Taylor, left, and Sandy Greene are preparing for the this weekend's annual Tale Tellin' Festival in Selma, which is held inside a renovated garage overlooking the Alabama River.

Transforming a greasy, oil-stained garage into an artistic headquarters might seem a bit strange, but that's what happened to a big building where vehicles once got tuneups, touch-ups and tires.

Today, it's the site of a different kind of "tuneup" called "Carneal ArtsRevive" and is the setting this weekend for the annual Alabama Tale Tellin' Festival in Selma.

Founded 34 years ago by the late Kathryn Tucker Windham, Alabama's legendary teller of tales, the event continues to grow in popularity across the state.

This year's event will be held Friday and Saturday with activities to begin at 7 p.m. each night.

The weekend is extra special because it's also time for the annual Riverfront Market Day, also being held Saturday.

Entertainers at this year's Tale Tellin' Festival are the Dill Pickers, a vocal-string band out of Birmingham; Dolores Hydock, also of Birmingham; and Cuban native Carmen Deedy.

Admission is $15 for one night or $25 for two for adults; $10 for one night or $15 for two for students younger than 12.

Held at the intersection of Church Street and Water Avenue in downtown Selma overlooking the Alabama River, the Tale Tellin' Festival was the first of its kind in Alabama and has obtained a national reputation.

Market Day, sponsored by the Riverfront Market Authority and the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society, is held in the same area about a block away, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.

Vendors from throughout the state and region offer everything from glass-blown jewelry to hand-painted barrettes and soybean candles.

Performers at this year's riverfront market include The Ramblers, The Fabulous Shades, rocker Phillip Morgan, Vintage Gray and the local John Bull Band.

A new addition this year will be a scavenger hunt for children with cash prizes to the winners.

The two events help serve an important purpose - bringing attention to one of Alabama's most historic towns, especially a riverfront area that has seen better days.

Once a vibrant business district with a history dating back before the Civil War, Water Avenue served as host for the Marquis de Lafayette on his long visit to America in 1825.

The first Tale Tellin' Festival was held near where Lafayette climbed the hill from where his boat docked. A bronze marker was erected there to note his visit.

Windham, who died last year at the age of 93, attracted huge crowds in Jonesborough, Tenn., where the National Story Telling Festival is held.

She was determined to start one in Selma and made it a personal project. Nationally known storytellers helped her make it a success by performing each year, often at lower than usual appearance fees.

"Many of them came to Selma because of Kathryn, and they were aware at first that funds were limited, so they did all they could to help and that included reducing what they normally charged," said Beth Taylor, one of the directors of this year's event.

Taylor, a retired educator, said her favorite memory was going to Windham's house after the last tale was told for a covered-dish celebration. The performers came, too, and mingled with their fans.

The festival had problems finding a permanent home during the event's early years. It included stops at the old and new National Guard armories, a school, a public park and other locations.

ArtsRevive's purchase of the old Carneal Auto Service building means Selma now has a permanent place for the festival as well as other artistic events through the year.

Members of the group pitched in to do a lot of the work in an effort to cut costs, including scrubbing, painting and sprucing up where it was needed.

One thing members did not do was remove vestiges of what the building once had been, and large signs promote everything from oil changes to auto battery charging.

Hundreds of storytelling fans filled the building last year with performers telling their tales from a set resembling front porches of years ago when families gathered on soft summer evenings.

A popular feature of the event is "Swapping Ground," which allows amateur storytellers to take center stage and try their hand at entertaining spectators. It begins at 5:30 p.m.

Market Day has been an October favorite in Selma with visitors from aross the state arriving to buy holiday gifts from vendors and listen to musical groups.

Many Market Day participants remain in Selma on Saturday nights to take in the Tale Tellin' Festival.

For details about the festival and Market Day, call 334-878-2787, email info@artsrevive.com or check out www.artsrevive.com on Facebook.

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Tale Tellin' Festival, Market Day this weekend in Selma

Transforming a greasy, oil-stained garage into an artistic headquarters might seem a bit strange, but that's what happened to a big building where vehicles once got tuneups, touch-ups and tires.

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